Paris Bike Party 2023

My first Grand Randononèe is the granddaddy of them all, Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) in 2023. In many ways, the terrain is like that in New York State. However, the size of the event (thousands of riders) and the welcome attitude of the people along the route make it vastly different than any other ride I've done.
We had a support car to meet us near controls and stayed in simple hotels to mitigate delays in controls and the troubles that come with thousands arriving at a control simultaneously. It was a good move and helped us keep pedaling through. The ride had its ups and downs for me, but it was an overwhelmingly positive experience that made some indelible memories.
Towns roll out the red carpet for randonneurs during this event. Families turn out to cheer, feed, and water the participants and just watch the parade of bikes go by. I never heard a negative word about cyclists from the people along the route or a frustrated car horn during the whole event. In fact, beeps of encouragement were the norm. Trucks and cars waited patiently for bikes, sometimes following for minutes at a time until it was safe to pass.
This was 1220 km and 40,000 ft of climbing. It's Type II fun for three and a half days of riding with people who like to ride long distances and cover a lot of ground.
sean.keesler.org/paris-brest-...

[@phoffen3829]

You certainly show why it is a mythical event. The comraderie, the crowds, the scenery, and for me the food, all make it look fantastic. I wish I had known about it when I was younger.

[@SeanKeesler]

Well, it certainly would be easier if I was younger! ;)

[@gerarddriscoll5599]

I hope this comes across as OK. There's always someone who is better or quicker on a bike. There's not many who can ride this distance and fewer people who make a video of it. So well done to you and thanks for the hard work. 🚴🚴🚴

[@SeanKeesler]

It comes across fine. I know that what you are saying is true. Maybe the best way to say it is that I HOPE that randonneuring doesn't become the same as ultra racing. I know there are a few people that do both, but rando seems (to me...just my opinion) to need guarding from too much racing influence.

[@alienalienalienalien5969]

Thank you for uploading this. I think it captures the event very well and I really appreciate how raw it was and how raw you were. You rode it very well. I was -3h by Carhaix on the outbound and it was just a sheer panic all the way. Re the emotions, I think its because you're next to broken, you have nothing left to control the raw stuff that lives in you and this is an excellent way to release it from time to time. Much better than grief, a break up or alcoholism imo. It was excellen! Bon courage! Bravo!

[@SeanKeesler]

How did you get 3 hours behind on the outbound?

[@alienalienalienalien5969]

@@SeanKeesler ha ha - I left Loudeac more or less on the dot of my cut off time (having slept and fed myself and thinking my garmin had been charging the whole time) and then found the garmin at 5% ready to go into power saving so at some point it just died. At which point I found a patch of grass and waited for it to charge to 12%. Then I helped a rider whose deraileur had locked with her rear sprocket and then slept at the secret control and then thought that it substituted the Carhaix stop which I thought was the food stop shortly after the secret. When I turned up at Carhaix I initially thought it was Brest, but I clearly was thinking in a dream state. By the time I got to Brest I was back to -1.5h, then Carhaix -1h, Slept and then -3h at Loudeac (was tough slog getting to Loudeac). After which I just kept on pushing pushing pushing and looking for wheels to follow. I was very lucky with my energy coming back but would have been sorted with better nutrition supplies.... (I'd used them all by Loudeac on return leg), Wild ride, I loved it.

[@Jrobertsonmaciel]

Sean, my God, what a ride, what a guy. Thank you so much for having the discipline to document this event. It brought back memories of our ride from Portland to The Dalles. You are an amazing man to ride with.

[@SeanKeesler]

It was quite the experience, Joy! The Columbia River Gorge ride was one of my favorites ever. Thanks for sharing that day with me!

[@Bijou-Bob]

You captured PBP perfectly 👍. Enjoyed watching your 🎥 Congratulations

[@SeanKeesler]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@BenGeldreich]

Congratulations on completing the 2023 PBP. I must say this has been my favourite 2023 PBP video that I've seen. I really appreciate you sharing your journey with us. I felt like I was right there with you.

[@SeanKeesler]

I'm glad you liked it... Although there are a lot of good ones out there.

[@martincooper7654]

Hi Sean, great video and your post ride musings were spot on. I think I ran into you at least 3 times along the route and it was great to see you. Congratulations and know I will see you in 2027.

[@SeanKeesler]

Great to see a familiar face out there!

[@ahmedahmedzoufir1376]

Greetings from Brazil. Congratulations on PBP. I liked the soundtrack, only good music. . Here I am preparing for the last Brevet 600 of the 2023 series in October in Uruguay. Allez Randoneur

[@SeanKeesler]

Allez! Allez! Bon courage on your 600k!

[@claudepetri5154]

Bravo !!!

[@SeanKeesler]

Thank you.

[@TechnoTonique]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing this fantastic experience!

[@SeanKeesler]

Thanks! And you're welcome!

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Epic👍 Hats off to you all...

[@SeanKeesler]

Thanks. Such a great experience.

[@patriciaratovondrahona7633]

Hi Sean, excellent job👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. I don'know you but I really love your video👌. I live in Rambouillet and followed till the end Paris Brest Paris😊❤

[@SeanKeesler]

It was a blast. Glad you liked the video!

[@chriscairns654]

Well done. Great ride and great video.

[@SeanKeesler]

Thanks!

[@thiscarian]

Echoing what others have said, your video captures the experience very well! I'm glad you've found your schtick. Congratulations on finishing and i hope to see you down the road.

[@SeanKeesler]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed watching this amateur effort.

[@kennethward9530]

Congratulations! Well done sir.

[@SeanKeesler]

Thanks!

[@gauguin66]

Congratulations.🎉 What an adventure

[@SeanKeesler]

It was a pretty neat experience.

[@johnvine5731]

That was a fantastic journey. The videography was so great. Many congratulations to you (and Paul and JB). "Have they got granola?" Back to real the world I guess.

[@SeanKeesler]

It was fun to make, it took my mind off all the pedaling 😉. Yep, back to your regularly scheduled program!

[@JosephChester]

Wonderful video Sean, really captured it beautifully! Congratulations!

[@SeanKeesler]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@opus5204]

I doff my chapeau in honor of your achievement sir.

[@SeanKeesler]

Aww, anyone could do it if you have the time...

[@opus5204]

I am afraid you vastly underestimate your achievements and grossly overestimate other people's abilities. Again, Congratulations

[@ildefonsobenitez6624]

Wow, what a video! Thank you Sean for sharing your adventure with us on this PBP. You didn't look too tired at the end of the hike. I have the impression that you didn't light the road much with your headlight before dark. Too bad you didn't put the automatic translation on because I don't speak English, so I couldn't follow your comments.... Honestly, congratulations on your journey, it was fabulous.

[@SeanKeesler]

I looked for an automatic translation feature, but didn't find it. Where is it?

[@ildefonsobenitez6624]

@@SeanKeeslerHi Sean, I don’t know how to answer your question. Your other videos were automatically translated, so I could follow all your preparation and understand everything you said... Maybe it will happen on its own.... ​Rechercher des détails

[@SeanKeesler]

@@ildefonsobenitez6624 I think this is a feature of KZbin, but nothing I did. Maybe it will take a while for it to come up...I'll check back in a while.

[@SeanKeesler]

I looked into it, and I think it's just that KZbin doesn't automatically generate captions for long videos like this one (support.google.com/youtube/answer/6373554?hl=en#zippy=%2Cautomatic-captions-on-long-form-videos-and-shorts%2Cautomatic-captions-on-live-stream-videos).

[@ruthjames9278]

Great video and amazing achievment - curious what it the rest around your neck?

[@SeanKeesler]

It's a waterproof, personal Bluetooth speaker. To be honest, I only tend to use it when I'm feeling low. I prefer this option to headphones because: - there is a lot going on between helmet straps, glasses, and a set of headphones. too much for my taste. - I can hear what's going on around me fine with these - they have really nice audio quality, unlike some bone conduction options I've tried. If I want to crank these, I can, but they also sound pretty good at low volume. - they aren't quite as obnoxious as a loud portable speaker. They are meant for personal use.

[@Rochellecyclinglife]

Congratulations 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 It’s a tough ride 💪🏽 your the only one who even show the climb part great Video , I’am putting this on my bucket ride … You mention about to “qualify” this you need to complete 200k,300k,400,600k? My question is do you need to ride this on the EVENT? Or on your training? Can you ride this too on a virtual ride? Hope you answer… congratulations again 🚴‍♀️keep riding

[@SeanKeesler]

Thank you. Paris Brest Paris is on a lot of randonneurs' bucket lists! :) The rules for Paris Brest Paris (including how to qualify) are located at the Audax Club Parisien's (ACP) website for the ride: www.paris-brest-paris.org/en/rules/ in article 2. ACP-sanctioned brevets are organized in the US by Randonneurs USA (RUSA). You might check with Abu Dhabi Randonneurs, although I don't know if I remember anyone from the UAE on the road during PBP.

[@Rochellecyclinglife]

Thanks for the response, I’m not sure if there’s brevet organizing here in UAE, the further I know is only 185km event no such as 200k to 600k event organized here (not too sure) I will need to find out how I’m going to do the qualification ride .. thanks 🙏

[@Rochellecyclinglife]

@@SeanKeesler I found out they organised 200 km Brevet in Dubai but that’s it.

[@SeanKeesler]

@@Rochellecyclinglife You might find out if joining and volunteering to organize and run more events can change that. Maybe you can help run a full ACP series, ride it yourself, and qualify for PBP next time!

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

You seem like a super nice guy. But man please show some excitement you just finished PBP 🙂 I loved the actual video footage but you put me to sleep several times 🙂. Like I said you sound like a super nice guy so don't take offense.

[@SeanKeesler]

I appreciate that your found it competing enough to awaken and forge on through my dull slog. You should get a medal too!

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@SeanKeesler ha ha! But I did get a medal it’s shiny just like yours 😉 You’re a New Yorker you can handle it - New Jersey guy here. Anyway congrats on finishing. I was P245 - 86 hours 15 min. We didn’t go for time we wanted to have the time of our lives 😊 I thoroughly enjoyed PBP! My undercarriage has a different opinion on that. 😂 My riding partner and I rode hard during the day and bedded down every night around 9ish and got back on the bike at daybreak except the first night since we started at 1945 we rode through that first night. We made it to Carhaix by 9:30 pm I think. We had 35 hours off the bike and 51 hours pedal time. We took in the atmosphere, hung out with the locals and rode with and had dialog with riders from many countries sometimes in English sometimes in Spanish, which I speak fluently, and broken Italian 😂 it was awesome! Good luck with your channel whatever you decide to do with it. Cheers mate! If you’re on Strava we can connect there strava.app.link/4WOmo041SCb

[@SeanKeesler]

@@SeeYouUpTheRoad Congrats on YOUR finish, then! My undercarriage did fine, but I have a numb right hand. I'm signing my name like I am in 2nd grade and asking my wife to open the pickle jar.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@SeanKeesler ha ha! I have some left hand numbness to deal with I thought it would have been gone by now. Hopefully it resolves itself soon. I own a bike shop and do quite a bit of wrenching so I need my hands to make a living.